News of the Week
Observations About Some Things That Caught My Eye
Nostalgia can reduce perception of pain, study shows
From CNN - The next time you feel aches or soreness, you might consider skipping the pain reliever and reaching instead for an old photo.
Nostalgia -- that sentimental feeling of longing for the past -- can reduce pain perception, according to new research published in the journal JNeurosci.
One-third of older adults say clinicians neglect their care preferences
McKnight’s - One third of adults 50 and older reported that clinicians rarely took their care preferences into account, according to a newly released study. The survey of more than 36,000 people compared data from 2014, 2016 and 2018. LeadingAge, the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation led the study with funding from the SCAN Foundation.
Observation - this is exactly why I did the segment on being your own health advocate on Charlotte Today above.
This dog knows 40 commands and can play cards. A hospital hired him.
WAPO - A children’s hospital in Orlando recently recruited candidates for a coveted new position. After rounds of interviews, its pick for the job was Parks, a 2-year-old Labrador retriever with a golden coat and floppy ears — who boasts an impressive catalogue of more than 40 commands.
Like many dogs, he knows how to sit, stay and raise his paw on command. But what impressed hospital workers were Parks’s advanced skills, including pushing objects, turning light switches on and off with his snout, pulling ropes to hold drawers and doors open, retrieving items, and assisting with laundry by tugging the hamper to the washing machine.
Observation - feel good story for this issue!
Dementia soars among U.S. adults at end of life, study finds
McKnight’s - About half of older U.S. adults receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia shortly before their death — a number that has spiked by more than 34% in two decades, according to a new Medicare billing study. More awareness and changes in Medicare billing protocols may account for the increase, investigators say.
Rather than reflecting more dementia in the general population, the increase most likely is a result of increased awareness among clinicians, patients and caregivers, and a spike in recorded diagnoses from 2011 to 2013, the investigators wrote. Those years saw a substantial increase in the number of diagnoses Medicare allowed on claims.
Observation - while under-diagnosis may be declining, why is early diagnosis, the time when you can do something about it, not increasing?
Coalition of aging services providers joins campaign to re-establish House Aging Committee
McKnight’s - Efforts to re-establish the House Permanent Select Committee on Aging are receiving a boost of support from a coalition of aging services organizations.
The 69-member Leadership Council of Aging Organizations recently sent a letter to members of the House of Representatives to solicit co-sponsors for House Resolution 583, introduced by Rep. David N. Cicilline (D-RI), to re-establish the House committee.
The original committee was active from 1974 to 1992 and conducted investigations, hearings and issues reports to inform Congress on aging-related issues.
Observation - ah duh, this is a no-brainer. Read about the accomplishments of the original committee. Impressive.
Noteworthy: Music therapy offers relief for hospice patients
McKnight’s - We all know about the power of music to relieve stress and improve our mood. For older adults in hospice, music therapy can help control pain and improve their quality of life.
Sarah Michaels, music therapist at Tidewell Hospice, which provides hospice to patients’ homes and in specialty hospice houses, advocates for the benefits of music.
Observation - Well of course it does! Check out Sage Stream - www.sagestream.live.
Senior Living 2022: The State of Engagement and Technology
From IN2L - The company’s third report on this topic found:
Confidence dropping in senior living’s ability to engage residents and provide personalized care.
98% of leaders believe engagement technology is at least moderately important; 86% say extremely important.
Most consider tech as contributing to ROI though pandemic concerns lowered their confidence. Believe it is a marketing differentiator.
Observation - Sage Stream is an engagement technology. In fact, being totally “live” for each show differentiates us from the industry. We are also a staffing solution, allowing senior living some relief especially during nights and weekends. Finally, we provide a consistency and quality of experience that you cannot achieve when there is staff inconsistency.
NEED IT NOW: SKILLS-BASED TRAINING FOR CAREGIVERS
My article in Sixty and Me: https://sixtyandme.com/caregiver-training/
Personal beliefs trump resident needs in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, group says
McKnight’s - A series of bills winding their way through the South Carolina Legislature would give any healthcare worker a “broad license to discriminate” against any group, including assisted living residents, based on personal beliefs, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
South Carolina HB 4776 and companion SB 811, the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act, along with SB 1130, would disproportionately affect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals and other vulnerable communities by denying medical services based on the personal beliefs of medical practitioners and healthcare institutions rather than resident and patient need, according to the civil rights organization.
Observation - South Carolina. Leading our way into the dark ages.
Elizabeth Dole Foundation Launches Financial Assistance Fund for Military Caregivers with Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation has launched The Hope Fund for Critical Financial Assistance to offer immediate financial aid to vulnerable military caregivers. With generous support from the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation, the Foundation will provide dedicated financial grants in times of crisis for Americans caring for a wounded, ill, or injured veteran at home. The Hope Fund is the centerpiece of a phased approach at the Foundation for creating healthier caregiving families. Caregivers can apply for assistance at https://hiddenheroes.org/find-help/hopefund/.
Caring for aging parents, sick spouses is keeping millions out of work
WAPO - Even as the job market rapidly approaches the levels last seen before the coronavirus pandemic, a lack of affordable care for older and disabled adults is keeping many out of the workforce. At least 6.6 million people who weren’t working in early March said it was because they were caring for someone else, according the most recent Household Pulse Survey from the Census Bureau. Whether — and when — they return to work will play a role in the continued recovery and could reshape the post-covid labor force.
Observation - this is not surprising. It’s not just that companies need to step in and help, it’s the outrageous cost of care and the lack of coverage of care even when you have insurance.
